Movie crew returns to Worcester set

Thursday

Apr 11, 2013 at 8:00 AMApr 11, 2013 at 3:27 PM

For stargazers and celebrity stalkers, Millbury Street seems to be the place to be again today. At noon, the old White's Levi store at 26 Millbury St. was made over as Rosenfeld & Son Glass Repair Co. for a 1940s flashback scene in the Hollywood movie being filmed there. The actors played out a confrontation involving the proprietor.

By Craig S. Semon TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

For stargazers and celebrity stalkers, Millbury Street seems to be the place to be again today.

At noon, the old White's Levi store at 26 Millbury St. was made over as Rosenfeld & Son Glass Repair Co. for a 1940s flashback scene in the Hollywood movie being filmed there. The actors played out a confrontation involving the proprietor.

Worcester businessman Janusz Golemo, who owns Golemo Foods Co. Inc at 43 Millbury St., as well as the old White's building, was among the spectators eager to get a look at the action.

He said he enjoys seeing the Hollywood process in action and seeing Millbury Street returned to an earlier time.

"It's a neat little adventure. It's something out of the ordinary," Mr. Golemo said. "It's just a cool thing to see for Worcester, which is known as being an old, industrial city."

A crowd of movie extras (many sporting curlers and big '70s hair) was picked up from the Worcester Public Library parking lot shortly after 10 a.m. A bus delivered the extras to the PNI Club on Millbury Street, which seems to be the catering station and drop-off point for those involved in the project, a movie by director Director David O. Russell.

On Millbury Street, Nick's Bar and Restaurant (or what has been remodeled into Baron's Italian Restaurant) looks ready for business and/or filming any minute. And cool cars from the '60s and '70s - including a truck with the words "GLASS Bronx, N.Y." - are being strategically placed along Millbury Street for some exterior shots.

Back to how big this movie is. It stars Academy Award winners Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale (both spotted yesterday) as a husband and wife, as well as two-time Academy Award winner and last-minute sign-on Robert DeNiro (so far, a no-show) and People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" Bradley Cooper (also a no-show).

Sporting a tan trench coat, white polyester leisure suit that he could have bought at Eddy's of Park Avenue in the 1970s, actor Jeremy Renner (in character as a big-shot politician) drank water while pacing back and forth.

Renner with his entourage (including the director's son in a period leather coat) walked in the middle of Millbury Street, greeting passers-by with handshakes and rubs to the heads of young whippersnappers.

Two extras are greeted by Renner, who is pontificating about the importance of community. Renner crosses the street and walks toward Worcester Flooring Supply and JK Nail Academy (real businesses not in the shot) and the director calls “cut.”

“It's very exciting. A little slice of Hollywood on Millbury St.,” said Stephanie J. Zenaro, a cook at Patsie Dugan's pub on Millbury St. “Seeing anybody I get star struck. For me, it's neat having them that closed. You really don't get that kind of thing in beautiful Worcester.”

Not only is a lot of the action is being film in front of Patsie Dugan's, the drinking and dining establishment has become a favorite for extras to use the bathroom.

“All the extras are coming in to use the bathroom but none of the big stars,” Patsie Dugan said.